If you feel like a hopeful nominee, a reluctant runner up or a cocky winner, stand in line because your job search is a far cry from the glitz and glamour of The Oscars. You may feel like you have to dress the part or at least give good face to the crowds who are cheering you on. But, inside your stomach churns in tangled nervous knots and you wonder how you got here and whether being the job spotlight is such a good thing. Having the feeling that every interview is like the opening of a gold envelope and that all you have to do is sit, smile and wait-makes the process maddening at best and at the very least, glad you don’t have to do the red carpet walk.

Not knowing the outcome all your job efforts have made may give you a sense of wonder or a dread. Patience in this game fades with every notice of rejection, every inquiry gone unanswered and every job offer you didn’t get. That’s not to say the next one won’t be your one, but in the meantime the wait may just kill you. Here’s a tip, while you wait for the opening of the envelope, prepare your acceptance speech. You may think what a waste of time! You may be under consideration but you are a long way off from a win. It doesn’t matter, knowing who you should thank along the way and what you are most grateful for in helping you carve your career path to fame will help you prepare and stay focused on the win and not on the wait.

Finding enough good things to honor in your job search efforts, remembering the people who helped you and giving thanks to the many opportunities that made it your way should keep you positive, focused and above all hopeful. Making it past the noise, applause, (even if it’s not for you) and the uncertainty that comes with everything that is worth the wait, will give you the foresight to know that no matter the outcome, you gave it your all.

There are winners and losers in every aspect where there is one thing that more than one person wants. In this case your job search is no different. Remember, you may be thinking, “Let it be me” the next time you are faced with the opportunity of being selected for a job you want. Coveting an award, or a job, a chance to win something that is perceived as making your life in someway a little better, challenges you to stay the course and acknowledge what you can do to make the journey a little more exciting.

Whether you are the presenter, a performer, a nominee, runner-up or the winner in your own job search show, your participation and acceptance of how well you did or didn’t perform makes you a winner no matter what the outcome. Accept, acknowledge and be grateful your turn will come whether it’s this job or the next.

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 Original Blog Post 2011

What does it really mean to “have it all?” When it comes to knowing what you want from your career when do you know it’s time to make a change if you feel you are not on the right path? Having all that you want and desire from your work life may seem like a pie in the sky concept that no one can ever truly achieve. Being in the right place at the right time, or being very lucky in succeeding in your career are misconceptions that roll around in your head when you battle the choice between keeping your day job and pursuing your dream job.

When it comes to thinking you may not ever be able to pursue what you have always dreamed of doing, think again because there is a way to have it all and not give up your day job to accomplish it:

1. Think Before You Act: When it comes to making a change into a career that you always wanted to try but didn’t have the courage to pursue, make a well-thought out plan of action before you actually strike out. Having an idea of where you want to go and how you want to get there will make any transition easier, even if after the analysis you decide the timing or the plan is not worth the risk. Visualize where you’d like to be in the next 2, 3 5 years after you have made the move to a new career. Picturing what it looks like will help you map out the road to accomplishing your dreams. Jumping into something head on without thinking it through maybe a dangerous choice when you are trying to make a change into something you love. Leaning on a group of advisors, or maybe speaking with a career counselor may lead you to make a more informed decision even when you don’t have all the pieces to your career puzzle mapped out.
2. Talk It Over: Nothing helps you process an idea, thought or plan more than having a confidante or a group of people you can discuss your plan with. It does not mean you have to take anyone’s advice because in the end the idea to make a change is really only your decision. Having someone you trust help you think through the pros and cons of a choice to change career direction even if one of those choices is to quit your job to go back to school or to stick with what you have until you are better prepared to make a change. Confiding in someone you trust will help you discover your true motivation in wanting to switch careers and pursue another path and may help you to decide if you are considering the change for the right reasons.
3. Look Before You Leap: Once you’ve gone through the process of thinking through your decision, it might be wise to test the waters a bit before making the leap. If you were thinking about a career change, is there something you can do in your spare time that will allow you to dabble in your new area of interest without sacrificing your rent check? Maybe moving home with mom is not an option until you figure out what you want to do, so what can you do to explore your desire to be a movie producer, songwriter or athlete without quitting your day job? When it comes to wanting it all maybe you can gradually explore your options by volunteering in your field of interest, cultivating a new group of friends in the area you want to explore or even taking some classes or webinars to learn a little more about the field you are interested in pursuing? Just because you may have feelings that you are not living up to your full career potential does not mean you have to jump ship and dramatically switch directions.

You can still pursue your dream job or career passion by keeping to a plan, having a trusted group of advisors and making sure you watch where you are going no matter how anxious you are to make a change. You can have your cake and eat it too one bite at a time and by being smart about it.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

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And, on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/abb/50

It’s not enough to give flowers, cards and candy this Valentine’s Day to the one you love, but what gesture of love and kindness do you show the one you spent probably the most time with in your life? When it comes to important relationships, how much time and attention do you show your job? If you are happy and content in what you do then your job can not only be your one great love but also the place you run to when times are tough. But, when you are not sure if you are in the right job, learning to love your relationship may take more than a career counselor, you may just need Cupid’s arrow to create the love you’ve been looking for.

Here are a few ways to fall in love with your job just in time for Valentine’s Day:

1. Love the Job You Have: Learning to love what you are doing is the first step in learning how to love who you are doing it with.
2. Love the Little Things: Whether it’s the size of your office, the great coffee in the break room or the company gatherings, loving the small but significant things in your job life makes you appreciate it more.
3. Love Your Boss: Well maybe not literally but having a mentor and someone you can share with makes the job more enjoyable no matter how tough.
4. Love Your Co-Workers: Giving and receiving advice from colleagues and enjoying their company helps you want to go to work and stay there even during a heavy workload.
5. Love The Pay: Even if you’ve been angling for a raise, loving that you earn money and that it comes in a steady paycheck helps you to be appreciative.
6. Love The Work: There may be times when you’ve been tasked with something you did not sign up for but embracing even the small jobs makes the big ones seem better.
7. Love The Opportunity To Learn: Every job comes with new learning opportunities and being open to them helps you love and learn even more.
8. Love The Commute: How you get to work each day sets the stage for the day you’ll have. Try a different route to shake things up but learn to love the ride however you choose to get to work.
9. Love The Accolades: Whether you or a colleague is getting praise for a good job, remember to take time to acknowledge and celebrate the wins.
10. Love the Challenge: Every job relationship comes with ups and downs. Loving the whole process as a learning opportunity and a way to grow is part of the way you learn to love your job each challenge at a time.

Loving your job may not always be easy but learning to fall in love all over again can be a fun process!

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Even if you think you’ve got the best resume money can buy and your network rocks the professional world, you may not always find yourself getting your next job through a referral or professional contact. When you find that the job you want is being represented through an internal or external recruiter, how do you penetrate the iron curtain and get past this recruitment gatekeeper? Knowing how to leverage your assets, connections and skills is one thing, but how do you establish a connection with someone you don’t even know?

Recruiters are hired for one purpose only and that is to weed out those over-zealous candidates from those that might be considered a “perfect fit.” Keep in mind the recruiter has to please the client and to make sure that they are addressing the client’s needs and wants in the best way possible by presenting the very best “short-list” of qualified candidates. Client is defined here as the employer or hiring manager. It might seem like an easy task, but when the market is flooded with good people all vying for the same job, the recruiter’s task has just become that much more challenging.

If you find yourself one of those qualified candidates in front of a recruiter trying to get a leg up on the competition, here are a few ways you can actually have the recruiter help you move ahead through the process:

1. First Impressions Count: You may be meeting the recruiter for the first time but making sure you are on time, dressed appropriately and prepared by doing your research on the recruiter and the company is a good sign you will make a good first impression when you have no prior connection to the recruiter who is tasked with filling the job you want.
2. Following Up By Not Being a Pest: Good follow up skills are important in any job search but there is a fine line between checking in for updates and becoming a pest. The recruiter has a list of priorities to get through and other candidates to meet. If you have passed the first test and are going on to round #2 (in person meeting), then sit back and let the process unfold naturally. A good recruiter will keep you in the loop as to next steps throughout the process and let you know if you are advancing to the semi-finals.
3. Don’t Try So Hard: Looking to please is a nice habit for your elderly relative but when it comes to looking for a job nothing screams “desperate” more than someone who is trying to compliment their way through an interview. Being overly “nice” does not win you any points because anyone astute enough can see through this tactic and in the end you do not win any extra points for trying to kiss up and through the interview process.
4. Don’t Send Gifts: In the same category as being “too nice” sending inappropriate “thank you” gifts to a recruiter will not earn you any points or move you up further in the queue for consideration. Keep bribery out of the job search equation at all times!
5. Be Considerate: Acting as if you want the job is important and you do that by asking the recruiter really good questions about the company, the people, the culture and the environment. Assuming that you already have all the answers and rather wait to speak with the “employer” makes you come off as arrogant and thoughtless. And remember to always circle back for feedback with the recruiter along the way even if you don’t wind up getting the job. Use this as a learning process to help you the next time you may be up for a job represented through a recruiter.

In the end the recruiter is your friend and ally in your job search and should be respected and treated as such. Trying to bypass the process by cutting the recruiter out or going behind the recruiter’s back is a sure sign that you will not make it to the first cut of candidates presented to the employer. Some recruiters have a bad reputation when it comes to dealing with the candidates and that is too bad for the rest of those who try hard to make a difference and to help both sides in a winning proposition. Don’t forget the recruiter is there to help move the process to a successful conclusion even if you are ultimately not the one who is offered the job by the employer.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lisakayeglj

Follow greenlightjobs on Twitter http://twitter.com/greenlightjobs

And, on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/abb/50